Could you weigh Sasuke's life?
by natsukileeRKOlover
Summary: Itachi once asked Naruto if he could weigh Sasuke's life against Konoha. But, now Naruto has no choice, neither his village nor his heart let him decide for the worst, even if it meant killing His best friend. Major character death! Not Yaoi.


_**A TorturedTourniquet Beta**  
Really random, but I was inspired. And since I've been in a funk for a while, I decided this would be a good thing to do. _

**Disclaimer:** Um, if I owned Naruto I'd be a rich Mo'Fo, not poor like I am right now.  
**Warning:** This is sad! This has a major character death! You are warned! Flame if you want...

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_Even if it meant killing him...? Could you weigh Sasuke's life against Konoha?_ Itachi's words still echoed sadly in Naruto's mind. "I'd protect Konoha! And find a way to stop Sasuke without killing him!" That's what Naruto told the Akatsuki Uchiha when he asked that difficult question. But Naruto was wrong.

Naruto was completely wrong about it all. He could only fulfill half of his promise. Only Konoha could be saved. Naruto screamed in anguish. This isn't how life had to be! Where was his peace? Where were all the hope and dreams now? Now that Naruto had only one choice....

Sickeningly blissfull onyx eyes looked at him half lidded. Naruto wanted to turn his face away, but he couldn't, Sasuke's eyes wouldn't let him. Sasuke's eyes. No longer the dangerous red and evil hues that they were just moments -mere moments- ago. Instead they told a story like no other. A story Naruto only partly understood. This was the story of a hurt and lonely boy who sought his heart, who sought, only for his sake, the revenge he needed. He was the story of objectivism. Sasuke was tortured, bruised and battered beyond what a life should be. Naruto was now his salvation.

Ironic, wasn't it? Even Sasuke thought Naruto would succeed in his goal. He thought Naruto could succeed in any goal. Ironic that it came to this. Horribly ironic that it was Sasuke who wished it. He now wanted it.

Naruto tried to hold in the tears of anger and fustration. Sasuke tried his best to give his signature smirk at the dobe, but the bruises, cuts, and blood made it hard.

"Dobe, do you have a choice anymore?" Sasuke asked. "Either you kill me, or I kill you and face the rest of the village until I die also. There is no other option."

"No!" Naruto growled, he cried, he pleaded. "There has to be another way! I could fight for you, dammit teme. I could make sure you stay alive and nothing will happen with Konoha!"

Sasuke then bore the same simple amused smirk his brother had held that day with Naruto._ You're such a child._ Itachi had told Naruto. _There are times when a ninja must make painful choices._ Itachi knew first rate, didn't he? He killed his whole family for the sake of the village, sparing only the brother he adored, the brother he cried for. Sasuke was what his brother wasn't though, hateful and heartless.

Sasuke could care less now about anything. He was done and all that had betrayed him is gone. All that was hurting him now only making him numb and blank.

"Foolish..." Sasuke sneered. "You are so foolish, dobe. I wonder sometimes how you even survived in this dreadful world."

Naruto gave a growl, his face scrunching almost like an angry dog. "This world is only dreadful because you leave it like that! You could have avoided all this! You could have been happy for once, knowing that your brother did what he could to make you strong enough to fight this so called dreadful world!"

"My brother was a tool!" Sasuke screamed. There it was, the anger that Sasuke could no longer surpress. "Why did he do what the village wanted? He could have warned his clan instead! Instead he now perishes in hell with the rest of them. A brother who controlled me like a puppet was no brother to be happy about!"

"But you had a brother!" Naruto cried as he lunged at the raven a mile away. They began to fight in the rubble of a once lovely forest. "He did all he could to make sure you would live! He loved you that much! And I know you love him too! You can't say you didn't. If you did you wouldn't be here avenging him, now would you?!"

Sasuke struck at Naruto sending him flying back, but Naruto recovered the blow quickly and retaliated. Sasuke growled and let his powers increase, his sharingan become stronger. Naruto was getting on his last nerve. His last snapping sane cell.

"Come on Sasuke!" Naruto smirked. "You think I didn't realize that the only reason you wanted to destroy Konoha was because of what they did to Itachi? You got your revenge for your clan when you killed Itachi. Now you want revenge on those who drove Itachi to the act. All you want is revenge!"

And the sane cell cracked. It split into tiny pieces. Sasuke was gone into the darkest depths of his mind. Naruto was right. Sasuke was blood thirsty for revenge.

Naruto watched his old friend become a sad amount of nothing but anger and revenge. He was the ultimate killing machine. But that wouldn't stop Naruto.... Naruto would try to save him! If only he could save him.

_Even if it meant killing him...? _

Naruto let his tears flow. He knew what he had to do. He had to go against his own heart and soul. He had to kill the man who had once been like a brother. Murder was the only option as Sasuke had put it. Naruto must kill even when it sickened him to think about.

In the depths of Sasuke's mind, the raven smiled. A truly happy, yet pathetic smile. Naruto would be the hero. Naruto would save the whole world. He would find peace.... Naruto could do the impossible. It was his nindo not to give up. And, Sasuke knew, Naruto knew that the only way to save the Uchiha was to send him from this misery.

This misery is called life. This is a world Sasuke only knew as the breeding ground of hatred and futile hope. Naruto had to kill the one he called brother, just as Sasuke had to kill Itachi. But, the difference was, Itachi died for revenge, Sasuke would die for peace. Not peace for the world, but peace for himself.

Naruto scowled as he realised the meaning of Itachi's other actions that day. Itachi's power was his only choice.

As the blank vessel that had become Sasuke stalked to Naruto, the blonde opened his mouth and closed his eyes tight.

A black bird, a raven of sleek feathers and a glare of death, escaped the open mouth. It was like the mouth was a porthole to hell itself... or heaven. The glass could be half full if you wished. Then the bird exploded. It blew into glowing white light, like the sun had blinded Naruto.

Sasuke's soul, deep within it's heartless body, let himself cry for the last time. He let himself see blue eyes, that he knew the future would come to recognize as heroic and holy. Sasuke looked at that light and the happy memories of life that he had forbidden to ever see flashed before him. One in particular caught his eye and he lingered at the sight. The sad day at death valley where he fought Naruto to supposed death. Why was it his happiest moment? Because, that was the day Sasuke saw the impression Naruto could make. The biggest impression that the need and want for power wouldn't let even Sasuke kill the sunshine blonde.

In a second all was gone and Sasuke was gone. The afterlife? Who knows.

All Naruto knew was that when the bright light of the exploded bird vanished, he could only see Sasuke's lifeless form lying on the grass. Naruto slowly walked to the body and cried helplessly. He cried for his rival. His friend. His brother. He cried for the lost soul that was Sasuke.

_Even if it meant killing him...? Could you weigh Sasuke's life against Konoha? _

No, Itachi.

He couldn't weigh Sasuke's life against Konoha. Not in the end, he couldn't. Konoha might have been saved. But Sasuke had to die. And yet, Sasuke's life still could not be weighed against the leaf village. One life couldn't compare to a village. Because to Naruto, the village, though important, would not be anything like what it was with Sasuke alive. No terror. No stuck up Uchiha. No sparring between God-like strong ninjas.

Sasuke Uchiha was a man. Konoha is a village. Sasuke would be remembered for his crimes. Konoha would be remembered for it's heroes. Too bad they forgot that Sasuke was also a hero.

Without him, Naruto would have never become the hero he would now be known as. The hero behind the hero.

Cry for he is gone, the man who was a hopeless cause to hope and heart. Cry because his destruction was gone. Cry for he was Sasuke Uchiha, as Naruto was now.

And just as Naruto let out an agonized cry, he looked to the full moon. And his eyes widened before closing into joyed slits. There he saw the image of Sasuke, sitting there saying, "One day dobe, we will meet again."

Naruto grinned fiercely. Yes. They will meet again. You could believe it!

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_I wonder how many of my fans were shocked that this wasn't naru-sasu? Believe me I almost wrote some yaoi directed lines but I decided not to. I know it's sad....in my mind I actually wanted it sad. This is actually pretty much a rambling sad oneshot. But it's okay because I need to get back to my wrting groove!  
**TourniquetNote:** This made me really sad!!! _:(_  
Please review! It would be much loved by me! _

**Love Natsuki Lee**


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